I Really Wanted To Go To Hull And Back
Jan 16th, 2009 by 'holic
I’m fated never to go to some places, I reckon. Hull is one of those. When the Tigers were promoted last season I vowed to keep an eye on the fixture list and if at all possible I would have liked to go as it is one of the few places I have never seen the Arsenal play before.
Sadly tomorrow I will not even be able to watch live on the sports channel I pay handsomely for but never watch. I will have to renew my relationship with the video recorder and pray nobody in the hospital spills the beans while I am with the management. Hence you can be sure there will be no match report here until late evening at the earliest, and I will not be checking in until I have watched the delayed transmission so you can be as rude to me as you like!
It would appear from what I have seen that we will have no new blood tomorrow, although Alex Song faces a fitness test. I am therefore guessing (which means I am usually wrong!) that we will be unchanged from the starting line-up that helped us to slaughter Bolton by a whole goal to nil last week. There is some flexibility in that eleven, so we may not employ the same formation or tactics.
Hull, who impressed me more than any other side at the Grove this season back in September, will be sporting a couple of new faces. I have to say, given the nefarious means by which many clubs have to import genuine foreign talent these days, how does an Angolan centre-forward get a work permit as quickly as Manucho? I’m sure it is nothing to do with the fact that he has moved from Manchester United, where he really set the world alight…
The holic pound is perched precariously. I was not joking when I said Hull have impressed me more than any other side I have witnessed at the Grove this term. They came and had a go, rode their luck at times, and inflicted on us possibly one of the most painful defeats of the Wenger years, when you would have bet your house on us not losing beforehand.
They are not enjoying the same favours from Lady Luck at present, and someone, somewhere, must surely pay for all of the misfortunes that have befallen tomorrow’s visitors. I’m basing my bet on that receeding fortune, and I’m going for 2-1 to the Arsenal, available at around 15/2 (although once again Paddy Power, your 13/2 is a bloody disgrace. I really want to give you some of my money, but you make it impossible!).
Those of you who are travelling, have a really good one. Perhaps you could come back on Sunday and share your impressions of the place with us. To the rest of you, I hope you enjoy a healthy and happy weekend before the snow returns on Monday. No really, that is the forecast. What global warming?
27 Responses to “I Really Wanted To Go To Hull And Back”
Cheers ‘holic, I’ll have some rum please. Here’s to three points and best wishes for the management.
Another must win game but a chance for pay back.
Holic you think it’s cold there try being here in Canada……it’s c o l d, really c o l d .
I am on call so cannot drink. Oh OK, go on then, but just a little brandy.
Cheers.
‘holic, best wishes to you and the management. I’ll take a 2-1 to the Arsenal with a RvP screamer followed by a Kolo header from a set piece.
I’m in canada too. -29C when I got into my car on Wednesday morning. Thanksfully, only -16C today. Will catch the game on Setanta tomorrow with a bottle of Nicaraguan rum by my side. 2-0 to The Arsenal.
Best wishes ‘holic and to senior management.
Hope you are right on your result prediction but I would prefer a more comfortable victory. One where I manage to keep my fingernails …
Atlanta, Georgia, was 13 F this morning and to think I moved there for the warmth and sunshine. Appleton Rum does the trick though.
Arsenal 2-1 Hull
I’m going for a 1-3 to the Arsenal, cant wait to wipe the smile off of phil brown’s face. C’mon you Gunners!
I am feeling good about tomorrow. Hopefully we will dominate from the start and that they will use the same tactics as they did at the Grove and not sit back.
Resounding victory for The Gunners..,…… Fingers crossed
Its cold here in Sydney as well… the temperature dropped below 20 degrees here briefly this morning – bloody disgrace!!! I’ll have a Mojito… on the beach of course. Oh, and 3-1 to the Arsenal tonight. Will be watching even though its a 04:30 am kick off here in Oz!
Best wishes to you and the management, `holic!
RvP has been hitting the woodwork quite often so he is looking like he’ll bang in some goals. I hope he’ll lead us to wins against Hull and Villa.
easy victory…0-2 to the Arsenal
It’s a very tricky one. I wish we didn’t have to play a tricky game this weekend. It will be very difficult to beat Hull at Humber, mark my words. However, I can see Arsenal nab another 0-1 win. With 1-0 win Arsenal will stay grounded and Wenger will focus on bringing in players in this transfer window. I can see Wenger pocketing the wallet if Arsenal wipe the floor with Hull. I hope we win but 1-0 is ok for me. That’s all we need right now.
Getting up (or staying up) at 4:00am to watch the game, hoping to witness a slick away performance. I can feel it coming.. 2-0 to the Goons!
Hi
You Arsenal fans are going to get a shock on Saturday, City are on the way back with a vengence, you southern nancies.
Ouch. You got me there with that vicious and original generalisation, Jim. Hope your pigeons get home safe tomorrow. Give that flat cap a wash while you are at it, eh 😉
From Hull and Halifax and Hell good lord deliver me.
(Christy Moore,The Dalesmans Litany.)
I just hope we can get our game back.The last few performances have been very un-Arsenal like.
Hi
I just hope City can give you lot a good stuffing you smug southern fairies with bad attitude. 3-1 to City.
The ‘generous’ doesn’t apply to your spirit, does it?
Twat!
Lol….Generous Jim, filleting far too many fish with the rest of your chums oop norf is clearly having an effect on your mental processes…..!!!!
A comfortable 0-2 win for Arsenal….RVP and Ade bagging one each.
Jim, in case you didn’t read any of it, here is me being as smug as I can.
“I was not joking when I said Hull have impressed me more than any other side I have witnessed at the Grove this term”
I take it you were not among those with whom we shook hands afterwards. I take it they were the real Hull folk, and you are just some ‘professional northerner’ on a wind up. Fail, fella.
Or would you rather I said, ‘Gawd blimey, Mary Poppins, jog on’ 😉
Hi
No axe to grind no daft comments, just to say that this season has already been a momentous one for Hull City. Yes we have slipped of late and are getting a bit close to satisfying all those pundits that had us relegated before the season had started.
We have won no silverware but overall have come up against many illustrious teams, your own included, and given a decent account of ourselves. We have been thumped, not least at home by Wigan, but for a city that has always been 2nd and 3rd division (the old Football League) everyone underestimates the impact this season has had on the City of Hull.
Teams like yourselves take the top flight for granted, its taken 100 of the clubs existence to get there. Yes I hope City get back to winning ways, I would rather have another 3 points instead of an FA Cup win at Newcastle, but we shall see.
Oh and one more point, we don’t have a fishing industry now, all that, with thousands of jobs were wiped out after the Cod War, fisherman, shipbuilders, electricians, engineers, many skilled jobs just went, and unlike today no headline news, well its only Hull isn’t it?
You are welcome AN. Meant what I said about you lot at our place, and I’m sure you’ll survive. Hope you understand when we are a bit more confident about facing you today than we would have been a month or two back. Sorry I couldn’t make it up there. I will one day, and I’m sure I’ll find a thriving city with good beer and good people.
Funnily enough, I do in most places I go to…
Great result and congratulations to Arsene Wenger for a great team display!! We did well to get the two late goals towards the latter stages of the game so well done to Nasri and Bendtner (as well as Ade’) for very well taken and deserved finishes. IMO Hull were lucky to have gotten the qualiser….from an unfortunate Clichy deflection.
One player for me who is really making a positive contribution….RVP! Although he didn’t get on the scoresheet (fantastic free kick that unfortunately hit the bar through great goalkeeping) the fella is pure class and made a nuisance of himself every time he got possession of the ball. Robin worked his socks of tonight and deserves recognition for his sterling efforts. Diaby and Eboue are both worth a mention too for their efforts (in particular the latter who seems to have upped his work-rate of late!).
We’re still up there and I honestly believe Villa (and Chelsea and Liverpool?!) will be feeling the pressure more than us.
Hi again
On the basis of possession alone Arsenal deserved the win, but I cannot agree with all your assessment Don. Hull brought on a substitute and he was immediately flattened in the box, not only that but right in front of the ref’s eyes.
We have had this against most of the top teams, remember we were 2 – 0 up against Liverpool and they fouled our players twice to get their equalisers. Manchester United were the same, and now Arsenal get away with it.
Its all irrelevant really you got your 3 points and march on but don’t tell me that ref’s are not intimidated by the top teams when to give decisions in favour of the lesser mortals would be professional stupidity.
Hello Another Northerner….
I agree with your assertion that Arsenal deserved the win. Re your comment on the the challenge from Djourou on Manucho. I honestly feel it could have easily gone either way, in which case was nowhere near as clear cut IMO as your comments suggest. I feel there can be no doubting the defender was watching the ball only (a fair challenge) but your player came off worse through the challenge….may the best man win?!
All the very best to Hull and Phil Brown. I hope you will not take my comments patronisingly (in acknowledging that you beat us at the Grove) but your team has breathed fresh air into the Prem and I hope you stay up. Unlike Bolton, you easily beat them in actually play attractive football 🙂
Typically, MOTD didn’t bother to show replays of the Manucho incident, so we’ll never know.